Extract
Effects of affective orientation and video game play on aggressive thoughts and behaviors.
Although numerous studies have shown that playing violent video games can elicit aggressive behavior (C. A. Anderson, 2003a, 2004; C. A. Anderson & Bushman, 2001; C. A. Anderson et al., 2004; C. A. Anderson & Dill, 2000; C. A. Anderson & Murphy, 2003; Ballard & Lineberger, 1999; Bartholow & Anderson, 2002; Bushman & Anderson, 2002; Sherry, 2001) and cognition (C. A. Anderson, 2003a; C. A. Anderson & Bushman, 2001; C. A. Anderson et al., 2004; K. B. Anderson, Anderson, Dill, & Deuser, 1998; Bushman & Anderson, 2002), very few studies have taken into account the extent to which game players' personality traits may moderate these effects. Media scholars, however, recommend examining the roles played by personality traits in the media effects process. For example, Oliver (2002) suggested that individual differences can play an important role in moderating the direction and nature of media influence ... The existence of certain individual characteristics may heighten or intensify media influences or may even provide a necessary condition for media influences to occur. (p. 518) Regarding media violence, Sparks and Sparks (2002) suggested that the role played by individual differences in the media violence-aggressive behavior link and effects of video games on aggressive behavior will be the foci of future research. With regard to effects of violent video games in particular, C. A. Anderson (2003a, 2003b) pointed out that although there are valid theoretical reasons to believe that different types of people may be more or less susceptible to video games' effects, researchers have not really addressed this issue. Given this paucity of research, C. A. Anderson (2003a) issued a call for research on this issue. The present study responds to this call by examining the extent to which individuals' affective orientation moderates the effects of video game play on aggressive thoughts and behaviors. The hypotheses for this study are based on a rationale formulated from the priming and cognitive neoassociationistic theoretical perspectives.
Media Priming Priming refers to the process in which certain stimuli activate ideas related to the stimuli within persons' minds. "It maintains that the presentation of a certain stimulus having a particular meaning 'pri...See the full content of this document
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